


Stolen Spark

by Rina_Calavera



Category: Lego Ninjago
Genre: Angst, F/M, I hit Kai with an ouch stick, Interrogation, Kidnapping, PTSD, Torture, Trauma, Violence, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-02
Updated: 2020-07-14
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:07:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 17
Words: 17,032
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23958154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rina_Calavera/pseuds/Rina_Calavera
Summary: When your enemy wears your face, it opens you up to intense dangers. Kai goes out on a mission in a sour mood, and it doesn't improve......mostly because he never made it home in the first place.
Relationships: Nya/Jay Walker
Comments: 42
Kudos: 205





	1. Chapter 1

“We can’t trust a thing he says.”

Cole pinched the bridge of his nose. “What choice do we have? He’s the only clue we’ve got.”

Jay glanced at the figure seated in front of them. “Everything he says could be a lie!”

Zane frowned at his hands, clenched in fists in his lap. “But anything he says could be what we need.”

Cole nodded. “Then it’s the best plan we have.” He put his hands on the table and leaned in to face the teen in front of him. “Now,” his voice deepened with a glare. “Where. Is. Kai?”

Red eyes met his stare with a grin from under familiar spiked brown hair.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?”

\-------------------------------------------------

It had all started a week prior.

Kai woke up with a splitting headache, comeuppance for intense element training the day before without proper hydration for that heat. It admittedly made him a nightmare to deal with – he made a point to work on regulating his mood swings, but the headache made him snappier than usual.

On a ship of seven people, five of which were teenagers…

It made for a tense morning.

“Brookstone, I swear to god, I will suplex you off the Bounty if you don’t move over.” Cole scooted down the bench at their kitchen table, hands thrown up in surrender as he attempted to keep himself (and his breakfast) out of Kai’s warpath.

Nya slid in on his other side, a plate of eggs and toast in tow. “Jeez, Kai, I may be used to your angst, but these guys aren’t. Chill out.”

Kai grumbled and shoved a forkful in his mouth. “He was in my way.”

Cole shrugged and shot Nya a smile. “It’s fine, I’m sure he’ll perk up once he gets some food,”

“And some water, Kai.” Zane’s insistent voice was followed by a glass set directly in front of the fire ninja’s plate. “Your headache should subside with proper care.”

Kai begrudgingly took the glass with a mumbled thanks.

From across the table, Lloyd frowned. “How come he gets to be grumpy and all he gets is a glass of water?” He winced when a newspaper lightly whapped him on the head.

“Kai is grumpy because he made an ill-informed decision. You are grumpy because you were asked to do chores.”

“Besides,” Nya piped up. “He has to get his act together for the day, same as you.”

Kai opened his mouth to protest his comparison to a ten-year-old, only to groan as the alarm blared around the breakfast table. He slumped to his feet with the rest of the team, Jay bounding in with a granola bar between his teeth.

All gathered around the Bounty’s main console, Nya typing away. “Looks like it’s your favorite twins, guys.” A chorus of groans echoed around the room.

“Why, why did Garmadon have to make fake ninja?”

“They are indeed frustratingly tenacious.”

“Just be glad you didn’t get called ‘baby brother’ by one of them.”

Cole snorted at Lloyd’s frustrated complaint. “At any rate, we gotta get moving. Let’s go!”

They arrived at the bank shortly, met with a very disheveled security guard who gave Cole a high five and jabbed his thumb at the building. “They’re…in there,” he panted out. “Good luck.”

The team nodded and dashed in, only to get slammed with a wall of fire.

“About time!”

Kai glared at his mirror-image. “Can you not today?” He yelled, sending his own fireball flying at him.

“Kai!” Zane quickly doused the flames and raised ice walls. “Be careful, we do not want anyone getting hurt!”

A metallic clang rang through the air as Zane reeled from the fist that slammed into his face. “I would worry about yourself,” His bizarro hissed. “Before worrying about others.”

Cole was locked in a grapple with his own opponent, while Jay raced around the room dodging and throwing lightning bolts.

Kai and his bizarro were fighting with intensity – flames shot in all directions, while one cackled and the other growled with each hit.

“This,” Bizarro Kai grunted with another blocked punch. “Is getting boring.”

Kai ducked out of his fireball’s path. “Yeah?” He swept his leg out in an attempt to catch the other off guard. “Then spice it up,” he drew his katana. “Surrender, before you get hurt.”

Bizarro Kai grinned and shook his head. “Nah, not my style – but I’d be down for a new opponent.” Kai tilted his head quizzically. “Hear baby bro’s started ninja training.” Kai’s face dropped at the poisonous look on his doppelganger’s face. “Wonder how much fun he’d be to fight.”

Kai snarled. “You wouldn’t dare.”

Bizarro Kai grinned. “Try and stop me.” He turned and shouted to his Cole, using him as a springboard to jump to the shattered skylight. Kai stared after him, before turning to the earth ninja.

“Cole! Boost – now!”

Cole followed Kai’s line of sight to the escaping bizarro, before bracing his hands. “Quick!” He threw the red ninja to the roof before whirling back to his own opponent. “Let’s finish this up guys!”

Kai raced after his double, ducking into alleys and leaping across rooftops. The Bounty floated just outside of the city limits – if he let himself get beat, and Lloyd was home alone…he shook the thought out of his head.

A sudden punch to his eye wrenched him out of his thoughts and sent him reeling into the dirt.

Kai groaned and rolled to get up, his head spinning and now throbbing from his earlier headache – only to find a blade at his throat. He curled his lip up at his attacker and raised his hands.

“What do you want?”

“From you?” Bizarro Kai scoffed. “Nothing. But Garmadon…he wants information.”

“I’m not telling you anything.”

Bizarro Kai rolled his eyes before raising his fist again. “You don’t have to.” He pulled Kai up by his gi, leaning in with a smirk. “Your buddies are gonna tell me everything. He punched fast and hard.

Kai’s world flashed abruptly to black.


	2. Chapter 2

Back at the bank, Cole swung another punch only to have his fist abruptly stopped by his double. Bizarro Cole held him there, distracted by his comm.

“Got it, we’re on our way,” He glanced at Cole, who was angrily attempting to take his arm back. “Hate to cut this short, but we got a fireball to go pick up.” He called to the other bizarro ninja. “Let’s move it!” He shoved Cole back on his butt before tossing bizarro Jay to the skylight.

Bizarro Zane rolled his eyes before shooting ice at Cole’s feet. “Figures.” He bounded up after the two, chased by Zane.

Cole spluttered and yanked at the ice around his feet. “Are you kidding me?” He shot a look at Jay, who was shivering in a similar position. “Crap.” He sat back on the floor in defeat, reaching for his comm. “Nya? Nya – we could use an assist. Thanks.” He laid back, flat on the floor with his knees bent up.

Jay called over from across the room.

“…I’m hungry.”

Cole sighed.

“This is why we eat real breakfast and not granola bars, Jay.”

\-----------------------------------------

Zane raced further and further after the bizarros, bounding over rooftops and dodging the blasts of earth, lightning, and ice thrown his way. A stray boulder hit him dead in the stomach, knocking him flat on a roof. He picked his head up in time to see the bizarros ducking into an alley.

He jumped down himself, only to find nothing and no one – except a lump of red fabric.

“Kai!” Zane knelt next to the unconscious boy, checking him for injuries. Kai lay limply on his lap as he carefully looked for any stab wounds or broken bones. Zane sighed in relief as he appeared unharmed, aside from a blossoming black eye. He called Nya in, asking for a pickup and giving their location. “And please have the stretcher ready – Kai needs help.”

Across the city, in their hideout, bizarro Zane dumped their haul on the floor.

Kai groaned and blinked awake. He rolled over, pulling at his bound hands behind his back. “What the…” He cursed and closed his eyes again. His head was pounding.

A familiar yet tainted snicker echoed in his ears.

“Kai must have hit him hard, for him to look like that.”

A snort sounded.

“Please, this is Kai we’re talking about – he just looks that messed up without any injuries.”

A tired sigh hissed over them. “Can we please stay on task, for once?”

A hand yanked Kai up to a sitting position, making his head spin. “Look alive, blasty.” Kai blinked and shook his head – a bad call, very bad call – at the strange venom in this Cole’s voice. He slowly pried open his eyes as best he could; his right eye was swollen shut from his earlier punch. Large fingers snapped in front of him. “I said wake up.”

Kai slowly gathered his bearings to stare at the red-eyed Cole. “I’m up.” He ground out. “And I’m not telling you jack.” He sneered, remembering bizarro Kai’s earlier threats.

Bizarro Cole smiled and looked at a snickering Jay and Zane. “Blasty’s feelin’ brave, guys.” He turned back to Kai. “Knew we should have grabbed the nindroid.”

A slap sent Kai reeling, his vision flashing for a moment, leaving him stunned.

“At least that one’s smart.”

Kai gasped in shock, waves of pain bursting from his cheek and through his brain.

Cole’s smile was gone when he refocused, replaced by a grim glare. “Ready to work with me?” He asked. Kai stayed silent, trying to think through the flashes pulsing through his head. “I just need a little info for Garmadon,” Bizarro Cole said calmly. “Might even let you go afterwards if you play nice.”

Kai curled his lip. “Here’s some info. I’m already having a bad day. Let me go, leave my brothers alone, and we’ll all get out of this with minimal damage.”

The red-eyed ninja let out a laugh. “Wow!” He stood back with his hands on his hips. “You are full of yourself. Tell you what.” He leaned in towards Kai’s face with a poisonous look in his eyes. “You get out of this room, we’ll let you go.”

Kai stared at him. “And until I do?”

Bizarro Cole grinned again. “Hey, we know how to have fun. You won’t be bored.” He motioned to bizarro Zane and Jay, who let a trail of sparks dance between his hands. “And we get to have some conversation. Deal?”

Kai growled. “You’re not getting anything from me.”

Cole rolled his red eyes. “If you’re going to be like that, I can just string you up outside. I’m sure someone’ll show up to take your spot.”

“I’m not unconscious anymore, good luck with that. You’d be flat on your back before my team even got here.”

Cole laughed. “Your team? Your team doesn’t care that you’re here.” He pulled up a chair. “Your team cut their losses and got home while they still had the useful team members with them. They got out while the going was good.”

Kai surged against his cuffs. “If they left, it was because they needed to regroup!”

“They left because you weren’t worth the manpower!” Bizarro Cole surged forward, yanking Kai to his feet and making his head spin. “You’re stuck here, Blasty. So you better start talking. You talk now, we don’t have to do anything nasty.”

The threat dangled in the air with Kai’s feet.

Kai just grit his teeth. “I dare you to try.”

Bizarro Cole smiled. “Sounds like fun.” He slammed a super-strength powered fist into Kai’s side, driving the air from his lungs. He dropped the fire ninja to the floor, leaving him wheezing and gasping for breath. “You’re gonna find out real quick that I’m not just some mirror of your soft little friend.”

He kneeled down, pulling Kai up by the hair to look him in the eye.

“I’m a whole different beast.”


	3. Chapter 3

On the Bounty, Zane laid Kai on his bed following a quick check in the med bay. The boy was still out cold, but that was easily attributed to his now nasty looking black eye.

“What happened?” Cole leaned in the doorway of his room. Zane looked up with a pressed expression after putting an ice pack on the ninja’s face. He kept his voice low, mindful of their teammate.

“I do not know – he was unconscious when I found him.” The two quietly watched his steady breathing for a moment. “Why did he go off on his own?” Zane asked.

Cole grimaced. “Bizarro Kai threatened to go after Lloyd. Kai…was not going to let that happen.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Dunno if it was a legitimate threat or not, but he was already pretty off this morning – it must have set him off.” Kai was a good ninja, but his temper was a flighty thing in battle. The Bizarros were experts at needling it, and today had been no exception.

The image of their youngest brother facing any one of their doubles sent a pang of worry through Zane’s system. He glanced at Kai’s face – he was lucky to come away with just a black eye. “Thank goodness he is not injured…” He suspected it was because it was his own double he’d chased down. Any of the others could have caused serious damage, whether from Cole’s bone-breaking strength, or Zane’s frostbite-inducing ice. Jay in particular was always eager to use lightning on a living target.

Cole nodded in agreement. “Could have been a lot worse. Now we just need him to wake up.” Zane followed him out of the room, turning off the lights on the way out.

All things considered, the day was mild.

Even Kai didn’t take on horribly intense injury.

\---------------------------------------------

Across the city, in a hidden room, Kai gasped awake with ice cold water drenching his head.

“Wake up.”

Kai rolled over as best he could with bound arms, shivering. He panted in cold shock, his fire still too constrained to help him.

Above him, bizarro Zane stared disinterestedly. “Finally.” He stalked away, every step tinged with burning cold permafrost. Kai barely registered his comment on the way out of the door – “Now please leave me alone until something interesting occurs.”

Blue shoes paused in front of him. “You took for-freaking-ever to wake up, you know that?” Jay’s familiar head of curls and freckles leaned into his vision. “Rude.”

Kai closed his eyes to catch his breath. He may not be able to make any flames, but maybe he can at least warm himself –

He seized and shook as shock surged through his system. His breath caught in his throat and his muscles cramped with the sudden tension. As quickly as it hit, it stopped, leaving him shaking in a puddle of icy water.

“Hello? I’m talking to you.” Bizarro Jay’s expression was mildly annoyed, a raised eyebrow and pout, not the look of someone who’d just shocked a soaking wet person. “Cole said it’s my turn on the Blasty.”

Kai just rolled over with a groan. “I’m not,” he hissed. “Tellin’ you anything.”

The off-color ninja stared at him for a moment, displeased. “I’m gonna ask you one more time, and this time, you need to actually use the brain cells you still have, mkay?”

Angry orange eyes met red. “No.”

Kai’s teeth cracked together as another volt wracked through his body.

“See, I dunno why you have to be so stubborn.” Bizarro Jay leaned over him. “It makes like, zero sense – I can literally stop your heart.” Kai wheezed on the ground, stunned from the electricity. “So again – brain cells, if you’re in there, please stand up – anything to declare?”

Kai stubbornly glared at the double.

“Wow you’re dumb.” Jay watched with disinterest as Kai seized with another wave of lightning. “We’re not even asking you to like, hurt them, we’re just asking you for info. I haven’t even asked you any specific questions! There are literally almost zero wrong answers – how do you choose a wrong answer every time?”

Kai’s tongue felt like rubber in his mouth. Fingers snapped in front of his face, sparking a whine as he tried to think.

“You better not be dead, Cole’d be pissed.”

Kai struggled to meet the bizarro’s eyes.

“Did you know,” He sat on the ground next to Kai. “That this can mess with your brain?” He tapped Kai’s forehead. “And not just frying it either.” He smiled wider than ever, sending a chill down Kai’s spine. “I’ve been watching you guys – me and Zane both. Your Jay? He’s smart, under all that jumpiness and blabber. Zane’s literally a walking computer. Cole’s actually good at strategy. But you?” He shook his head. “You don’t use your brain, you don’t think – you just rush in without a thought, hands blazing.” He leaned in close. “You better start talking, Kai.”

Kai watched as lightning arced through his fingers. “You don’t have a whole lot of brain cells to lose.”


	4. Chapter 4

Jay jumped as a clang echoed around the workshop. “Geez, Nya, what did the wrench do to you?” He laughed nervously.

Nya huffed and rolled out from under the vehicle she was repairing. “Sorry, Jay.” She paused her work, grabbing a water bottle from their cooler. “It’s just – ugh. Kai’s in a mood.”

Jay made a confused face. “Still?”

She nodded. “Let’s just say getting knocked out did not improve his stellar mood in the slightest.” Jay’s expression matched her own misgivings. “…and Sensei’s making him do grappling training with Cole and Lloyd.” She laughed at Jay’s grimace. “Don’t worry – no matter how mad he is, Kai’d never hurt Lloyd.” She thought for a moment. “But you might want to ask Zane to prep some ice packs for Cole.”

A solid thump shook dust from the ceiling.

“…yeah we should probably go warn Zane.”

On deck, Cole pulled himself to his feet, frowning. “Were you able to catch that, Lloyd?”

The younger ninja’s face was twisted in concentration. He nodded. “I think so.”

Cole turned to Kai, grabbing his arm as the fire elemental sulked. “Hey, I get that you’re still feeling like crap, but can you curb it?”

Kai rolled his eyes. “I did the move, I dunno what you’re so touchy about.”

“Kai,” Cole turned him around. “What’s gotten into you? This isn’t for us, we’re supposed to be training Lloyd – you know that!”

Kai jerked his shoulder out of Cole’s grip. “Don’t tell me what to do! I didn’t sign up to coach some brat.”

“Are you serious?”

Kai scoffed. “He’s like, what, eight? I don’t know. Why is it our job to teach him?” He ignored Cole’s shocked face in favor of continuing his complaints. “Not like he stands a chance against the literal lord of darkness anyway.”

“Geez, dude, wanna say that a little louder?” The two looked up to see Nya frowning, with a hand on her hip and around Lloyd’s shoulders. The blond boy looked like he was fighting back tears – there was no doubt he’d heard Kai’s commentary.

“Whatever. Ask her to do it – maybe a girl won’t hurt you so bad.”

Nya stepped to block his path, only to get knocked by Kai’s shoulder as he stalked back below deck. She immediately rolled up her sleeves, mumbling some choice words and taking a step after him. Cole’s steady hand on her shoulder stopped her rampage.

His expression was disappointed. “Let him go cool off, please.” He offered a joking smile. “You can kill him later, but for now, I really could use another person to teach Green Bean some grappling moves.”

Nya’s frustrated glare turned into a smirk. “Hey Lloyd, wanna see me kick Cole’s butt?”

Lloyd whooped, Kai’s words forgotten.

Cole smiled at the renewed enthusiasm. “And don’t worry about Kai.”

“He’s just having a hard day.”

Miles away, bizarro Zane sulked.

“Did you really have to go that far with him? I was busy.”

Jay just huffed from under the ninja slung over his shoulder. “Yeah, yeah, I interrupted your stupid training. Can you just defib him already?”

Zane narrowed red eyes at his teammate. “Why can you not do this?”

Jay flushed. “I can’t control the voltage that well…can’t you just do this?”

Kai barely registered the bickering around him. His head swam, spots danced in his eyes. His shoulders – legs – everything was sore.

His chest hurt. Burns spiderwebbed across his back – he hadn’t felt a burn in so long, he’d forgotten how it lingered, how it seared into the injury. He felt queasy – the unsteady rhythm from being lugged around wasn’t helping. He could hardly think…he felt lightheaded.

Zane gestured to a clean spot on his table. “Lay him there.”

Kai could only whine as he was carelessly slumped onto the table. Zane watched while Jay maneuvered his limbs to lie prone. “And you have to admit, I lasted pretty long this time.”

“The better part of a day is not ‘pretty long’.”

Jay scoffed. “Says you! You don’t have to be precise – you can just pile on the ice as much as you please!”

“Say what you wish.” Zane grumbled. “You should have learned to defibrillate him yourself by now.”

He couldn’t breathe…what were they even talking about now?

“Can you do it or not?”

He just wanted to sleep.

“Yes, you know I can. Now stand back – you may be master of lightning, but Cole will have my head if I accidentally zap you.”

Zane’s hands never crackled like that.

If he got out of this he was never teasing Jay about his voltage meter ever again.

And then Zane pressed his hands to his chest, and he arched off of the table. It hurt – why was he – he couldn’t – Zane would never hurt him –

Jay frowned. “He’s still fibby…”

“I am aware, Jay. Back away.”

And again, hands full of sparks and pain, making him seize and flail in a painful arch.

Bizarro Zane raised an eyebrow as Kai slumped back onto the table. “His vitals are steady again, but you will have to wait until he wakes up to continue.”

Jay let out a groan and draped over the worktable. “That’ll take forever!”

Zane seethed. “You still have twelve hours, if he wakes up you can resume your fun!”

Jay glanced at the exhausted form on the table. “Can I at least leave him there? He’s heavy.”

Zane glared. “Take him.”

“Zaaaaane…”

A slamming door caught their attention. Jay bounded off, trailed by a sulking nindroid.

“Cole!” He greeted. “You’re back…early…”

The bizarro ninja stretched his arms out. “Was just checkin’ in on our firebrand.” He grinned. “They made him train the shrimp.”

Even Zane snorted at the idea of their Kai having to teach Garmadon’s kid.

Cole nodded at Jay. “How about you? You get anything out of Blasty?”

Zane rolled his eyes and talked over Jay’s response. “He sent him into atrial fibrillation. He then interrupted my work,” He glared at Jay’s objection. “To fix it.”

Cole snickered, shaking his head. “As much fun as that sounds,” He wrapped a large arm around Jay’s slight frame. “We need him to actually be alive in order to get info, you know?” He removed his arm, clapping Jay on the back. “Is he still on your table, Icy?”

Zane nodded with folded arms. “I would very much like him removed.”

“Yeah, sure thing. Besides – you’ll have plenty of time with him later, right?”

The nindroid nodded with a shrug. “Provided Jay somehow controls himself, yes.”

Cole grinned. “Good. I’d hate for Blasty to get bored.”


	5. Chapter 5

When he woke up again, he was still sore. Everything ached, but…but it was quiet. He was finally…he was finally alone.

He could breathe.

He sucked in a deep breath, letting it hiss out slowly. Something kept his gi stuck to his back…Zane’d…Zane’d have a fit when he saw that…

Kai took in a gasping breath.

Zane. Lloyd. Nya.

He needed to get home.

It hurt to roll over. He wheezed, whined, and wimpered with every muscle movement. But he had to keep going. He had to – had to keep moving. He didn’t know where his double was. He hadn’t seen bizarro Kai the entire time. He had to get home, had to make sure Lloyd was safe.

Once everyone was safe, he could rest. Zane would patch him up, Nya would yell at him for being MiA, and he could rest.

He just had to get home.

He held his breath as he moved to his knees. He couldn’t keep in the crying otherwise. His joints didn’t want to move. They wanted to curl up into a fetal position, in a hole, and ask Cole to cover him up for a thousand years.

But that wasn’t an option right now, so he dragged his sorry self to his feet. Kai stumbled on unsteady legs. Somehow – thank the first – his feet weren’t burned or bruised or whatever else the rest of him was suffering through. He blinked the spots out of his eyes and took another deep breath.

He just needed to get out of here.

One step.

It hurt.

Another step.

His lungs felt sore. How do lungs feel sore?

Another step.

His hands were still cuffed in vengestone.

He stumbled, feet falling over each other.

Maybe Cole could take them off for him.

He slumped against a wall. He’d barely gone four steps, and here he was huffing like he’d run the training course eight times.

It was okay. He’d be okay – he just needed to get out of the room. He was okay.

He turned to get his hands on the handle.

Please be unlocked.

Tears threatened to well up at the soft click under his hands. He let his face turn up in a pained smile. Pulling the door open was a clumsy affair, but he was in the hallway! He was making progress!

He took in another deep breath. He could do this.

He could get home.

He grit his teeth and stumbled forward.

He was going to get home.

Kai Smith was a stubborn, reckless, emotional young man.

And he was banking on that to get him home.

From a different room, bizarro Jay pouted in his chair. He pushed his foot off the wall again, sending himself spinning in place. “I should have been able to pause my time,” He complained. “This is just boring.” He continued his spinning, giving himself a boost every time the chair slowed.

Despite the noise, Zane didn’t move from his position at the trio of wall-mounted monitors. “You had your time,” He calmly replied, arms crossed. “It is neither mine nor Cole’s fault that you wasted it by being overzealous.”

Jay glared daggers at his teammate. “At least I was doing something. What good does this do? We can’t even ask him anything without tipping him off!”

Zane’s red eyes flitted at Jay for a moment. “Assuming you would allow him a word edgewise…” He resumed focus on the screens. “He will not tell us anything so long as he believes he will still reach the others.”

Jay stopped his spinning. “And this will stop that…how?” He studied the monitors. “All I see is our work running around getting blood on the walls.”

Cole’s voice sounded from the back of the room. “Frosty here’s got a theory, Zaps.” The biggest bizarro was reclined on their couch, playing with something on a phone. “See, somehow, we nabbed the one ninja without some personal baggage we could needle. No parents, no backstory, no itty bitty weak spots in his fragile little ego for us to swing at.”

“So we have to create our own cracks.” Zane continued, eyes still glued to the screens.

Jay’s mouth opened in an “oh,” before curling into a smile. “Sounds fun.”

Zane’s face slipped in a rare smile. “You want to take part.”

“Duh I wanna take part,” Jay quipped. “Can I?” He asked, walking up to the screens. “Where did he go now – ew.” He pulled a face. “Jeez he looks horrible. Cole, you did a number on his face.” Cole laughed from the back of the room while the other two watched the stumbling figure on the cameras. “So…how exactly are we making those cracks?”

Zane shrugged. “It is quite simple.” He replied. “He is clearly operating under the assumption that he will get out, with zero help from his team.”

Cole nodded. “Blasty thinks he isn’t worth risking a search party, so he’s on his own.”

“Unfortunately, he is frustratingly confident in his abilities.” Zane frowned. “He is not pausing to pity himself like your counterpart would.”

Jay frowned at the snickering from Cole’s spot on the couch. “If we’d have grabbed him, we’d have the keys to the kingdom by now.”

Jay rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I get it, he sucks. Your point?”

“The point is,”

Cole stood up, placing a hand on Zane’s shoulder and leaning in to look at the screens. “The point is to beat that stupid independent belief out of his little head. Which, as we saw earlier, isn’t as simple as me, y’know, beating in his stupid little head.”

Jay nodded. “He needs to actually make himself fail.”

Zane shook his head. “He simply needs to fail.”

“And once he does,” Cole grinned “He’ll roll over real easy for us.”

Zane cleared his throat.

“He is getting close to the door.”

Cole smiled and rubbed his hands together. “Wanna arm wrestle for who gets to ‘find’ him?” he asked. Zane shot him a dry look, while Jay frowned and folded his arms, muttering about rigged games and ranks.

Cole shrugged. “Guess I get to do it then.” He nodded at Zane. “This was your plan, Frosty. Once I bring him in,” He opened the door. “He’s all yours.”


	6. Chapter 6

He was so close, he knew it.

Kai was practically dragging himself through the building now. He hadn’t seen any sign of the bizarro ninja anywhere – he hoped they were only out doing minimal damage, and his siblings were kicking butt so he could get out of here.

He was going to take the longest nap when he got home.

He was so tired…but he could take another step.

Just one step, and then another – and he’d be home in no time.

His vision flashed white as pain exploded the left side of his face.

“Now, where did you think you were going?”

Kai rolled to his side, unable to keep in his groan of pain. Bizarro Cole’s smirking form stood over him, his fist unscathed from where it had abruptly bludgeoned Kai.

Kai stared at him for a silent beat.

He let out a guttural yell, throwing himself to his feet and launching at the the double of his friend. His head hit directly into the bizarro’s stomach, drawing a grunt and knocking him back in surprise. Kai clumsily regained his footing before turning back to his goal, moving as fast as his exhausted and injured limbs would carry him.

Cole rallied, his grin unfazed. “That’s more like it, Blasty!” He called, giving chase. Kai’s heart pounded in his ears as his feet slammed over and over on the hard floor. The fatigue from before was gone, replaced with adrenaline and fueled by fear. He slammed around corners, slipped on his own limbs – but he was still upright, and he was still running.

He was still running.

He could do this – he was second fastest on the team, right after Jay – he could get away, it was just the one – 

He chanced a glance behind his shoulder and went sprawling as burning cold raced up his ankle. His lungs refused to breathe for a painful moment, too shocked by the intense freeze racing up his spine from his legs. It drove a pained cry from him, legs frozen to the floor now. He struggled to look up, lip split and face bloody.

“Aw, I wanted to catch him.”

Kai couldn’t help the flinching whimper that voice caused. He hated it, hated the weak sound that slipped out, but his nerves remembered what his pride did not; the seizing pain that followed that childish lilt.

The voice that followed could have been giving a statistical report for all the emotion it carried.

“You should have caught him then.”

White trimmed boots softly padded into Kai’s line of sight. The legs knelt, allowing a metal hand to grab his jaw and wrench it upwards with a grunt. “As it stands,” Bizarro Zane lazily regarded Kai’s injured face. “I believe it is ‘my turn’, as you two describe it.”

Kai dully felt a kick through the ice encasing his throbbing ankle. “How’re you gonna move him?”

Kai’s neck strained under Zane’s steel grip. “Who says I have to move him?” Kai hissed and jerked as burning ice seared frosty burns into his cheeks. “If you two would leave us?”

Jay huffed. “So much for getting to help…” He cackled as Kai jolted, a passing spark shooting pain through his shoulders. “See ya, Blasty!”

Zane finally let go of his chin to watch the other two stalk away. Kai let his face rest on the floor with a groan, the icy burns fading into a cold numbness. “What are you gonna do,” He mumbled into the carpet. “Gimme frostbite?”

He didn’t see the curl in Zane’s lip, but Kai wheezed when a boot pressed squarely on his back. “Your nindroid may be a weak imbecile, but I am not.” Kai gasped for air under the metal limb, while Zane’s cold voice continued. “Now, I will allow you to breathe, and you will use that breath wisely.”

The foot lifted, and Kai gulped in air.

“Tell me something useful. Now.”

Kai panted on the floor, before rolling to glare at the nindroid. “If your Jay was half the mechanic ours is,” he huffed. “He’d have cut that deadweight in half already.”

“Wrong answer.”

The crushing weight returned, this time with an added chill that froze Kai’s desperate lungs.

\------------------------------------------------

“I am worried about him.”

Nya huffed from under the sonic raider. “No idea why, he’s just being a jerk.”

Cole frowned from where he leaned against the worktable next to Jay. “Nya, this doesn’t seem like one of his usual bad days. For one – it’s not a day. He’s been like this for almost a week now.”

Nya rolled out from under the vehicle with a glare. “And? He’ll calm down eventually. He always does – he’s just being a horrible, dramatic, son of a,”

“Honey!” Jay gasped.

Nya crossed her arms. “He is.”

“At any rate,” Zane continued. “His behavior is concerning. What if something is wrong? What if he is hurt?”

Nya mumbled something about how much he’d be hurt if this behavior kept up. Jay’s face blanched at the descriptive language.

“Even if he is hurt, that’s no excuse for this.” Cole said. “I mean – what if it had been Lloyd sparring with him the other day? I can take a hit from the fireball. He’s just a kid.”

Nya sighed. “Look, you’re making good points, but I don’t know what to tell you,”

A high-pitched scream stopped her short.

The four stared at each other.

“Lloyd!”

They scrambled to their feet, Cole leading the charge. “Where is he right now?” He asked as they ran.

Zane answered. “At this time he is meant to be meditating in Wu’s study,” the nindroid’s eyes were glowing blue as he scanned the ship. “There! The common quarters!”

The ninja whirled around the corner, weapons up. “Lloyd, what’s,” Cole’s face dropped at the sight in front of them.

Kai sighed, letting the limp boy fall from his shoulder. “Knew I shoulda drugged the kid first,” He turned to face the ninja, red eyes gleaming. “Shame on me.”


	7. Chapter 7

Cole’s hands tightened into fists. “You’re not Kai.”

The bizarro’s eyes rolled in a spectacular fashion. “Really? It took me literally kidnapping the kid for that to sink in?” He scoffed, folding his arms. “I haven’t exactly been playing nice. Your Kai must be a real ass.” Kai shrugged. “Maybe he’s having a better time after all.”

A heavy weight settled in Cole’s gut. “What did you do to Kai?”

His fanged grin sent shivers down Cole’s spine. “Me? How could I do anything?” Kai’s trademark grin was twisted on the bizarro’s face. “I’ve been here, hanging out with you lovely people.” His voice snarled around the last two words.

Nya stepped forward. “What did you do with my brother?” Cole’s eyes narrowed at the shake in her voice. This was going to devolve. He caught Zane’s eyes, nodding to where Lloyd was on the floor. The nindroid moved forward, and Kai stepped to block him.

Cole was between them in a second, standing tall over the bizarro. “Don’t you dare.” Kai stood back with his hands up and air hissing between his teeth.

“Whatever you say, big guy.”

Zane ran a hand over Lloyd’s forehead. The blond had a blossoming bruise above his eye. The nindroid shot a nasty glare at the bizarro smirking above them before sliding his hands under the boy and lifting him away.

He paused next to Cole, voice low. “He appears fine – I will have to monitor him.” Cole gave him a curt nod, and Zane calmly rushed out of the room with Lloyd in tow. Cole turned back to the bizarro, who let out a cackle.

“Dang, Rocky,” He laughed. “Anyone ever tell you to try acting? The flip there,” he clapped his hands together, and Cole’s blood boiled. “Absolutely fantastic.” His voice slipped into a high-pitched mockery. “’Aw, Zane, make sure the kid’s okay,’” He teased. “Maybe we should have tried the switch with you. Think our Cole’s got that same talent?”

Cole’s voice came out as a growl, and Jay’s eyes widened next to him. “Enough with the games, shut up about anything that isn’t telling me exactly where Kai is and what you did to him.”

Kai let out another laugh. “Listen, Rocky,”

Cole interrupted him. “You don’t get to call me that.”

Another eyeroll. “Listen, Cole,” Kai started again. “I didn’t do anything to your Kai. He chased me, I hid, if something happened to him because he couldn’t keep a level head?” He shrugged. “Not my fault.”

Cole would have throttled him if it weren’t for Jay’s hand on his shoulder. “What happened to Kai if you didn’t hurt him?” Jay asked.

Kai smiled. “I didn’t say I didn’t hurt him. I imagine your little fireball looked about as busted up as I did that first day back.”

First day.

Hearing the confirmation was like a bucket of ice water down his back.

Kai must have seen the blood drain out of his face, because he gave another barking laugh. “Wow, you are way easier to read than ours! I can’t wait to tell the oth,”

His gloating was cut short by a powerful punch from Nya.

Cole stared at where she panted over the now unconscious bizarro. She clenched her jaw against the tears welling up in her eyes. Jay stepped forward with a hand out to help, but she shook her head, staring at Cole. Her face broke his heart.

He nodded at her. “We’re going to find him, Nya. I promise.”

She held her hand close, glaring at the body in front of her.

\-----------------------------

Kai thought it was utterly unfair that ice could burn.

Of all the things he had to go through here, he should have been safe from burns.

But no. Kai Smith is not allowed to have nice things.

He couldn’t stop the whine that slipped out as the freezing hand left his back. He couldn’t see it, of course, but his skin felt pinched and tight, like if he tried to move at all he would split right up his back like tissue paper.

“You are stubborn.”

He wasn’t sure which was more annoying – bizarro Jay’s gleeful teasing and shock-happy hands, or this Zane’s aloofness and bitter cold.

“Why do you not just tell us something?” Zane asked.

Kai fixed his eyes on a crack in the wall.

The hand settled on his shoulder, making him jolt at the cold metal.

“Even a lie would at least grant some reprieve.” Zane paused, seemingly considering his words. “Although, Cole might take issue with such deception.” Kai swore there was a grin in his voice as he continued. “He might demand retribution.”

His shoulder was going numb.

“Nothing to say? Your vocal cords are clearly functional, if those pathetic whimpers are any indication.”

Kai’s breath came out in ragged huffs.

The hand was heavy.

It burned.

“If I continue this, you could have nerve damage,”

Cole’s voice interrupted Zane’s monotone. “We have a problem.”

Kai kept his eyes on the wall as the two talked.

“What do you mean, he missed his check in?” Kai’s ears perked at the sound. Did they mean his bizarro? He hadn’t seen the other fire ninja at all this entire time. If he was supposed to be checking in…checking in was something you did on mission.

But everyone else was here.

It wasn’t like they were out saving Ninjago from the evils of anyone.

Half the time they were the evils, for First Master’s sake.

The hand on his shoulder flared with cold, driving a gasp into Kai’s lungs. He froze for a moment, eyes wide, before thrashing under the impossibly strong hold. The hand wrenched off just as quickly, leaving him shaking where he lay.

“Zane, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you lose it quite like that before.” Cole’s voice echoed in his ears. “Don’t knock him out – Jay’s still pouty over that lost time, and we’re running out.”

Kai latched onto those words. They were running out of time.

That meant that others were coming.

Right?


	8. Chapter 8

“Tell us where he is, or Jay plays patty cake with your face.”

Cole loomed over the bound bizarro with a glare. Next to him, Jay held up a hand, blue sparks dancing between his fingers. “Start talking, fake Kai!” He snapped.

Kai looked up at them with a bored expression. Jay hardened his glare. The bizarro let out a laugh, and Jay let out an indignant huff.

“Seriously?” Kai asked. “Patty cake? With my face? That’s your opener?” He rolled his eyes and leaned against the back of his chair. “How do you guys get anything done?” He lolled his head to look around Cole, to the pane of glass behind him. “I think even the little girl would be more intimidating than this guy.” His red eyes stared into the glass. “Besides…it’s her brother, isn’t it? She should be the one in here, not you two.” He sat back. “Unless she’s too torn up to be any help.”

Behind the glass, Lloyd and Zane fought to keep Nya from barging into the room herself.

“Nya, we need him alive!” Lloyd held fast around her waist, while Zane guarded the door with his hands up. Nya steadily inched forward despite the weight hanging off of her.

Nya’s eyes were like steel, and Zane found himself wanting to look anywhere but at her.

“Nya, please – do not rise to his comments, he is only looking to cause more pain,”

She met Zane’s gaze with a glare. “More pain? He and his little gang of thugs have my brother. He’ll be lucky if all he gets is more pain.” Her already stormy face darkened. “Get out of my way, Zane.” She seethed.

“Please, you know Cole asked you to stay in here,”

“Zane,” Lloyd paled at the venom in her voice, and he and Zane matched wide eyes. “Move. Before I move you.”

“Nya…”

Her hands clenched into trembling fists. “Zane, if you don’t let me go in there,”

Cole’s voice caught their attention.

“Let her in!”

Nya straightened, and Lloyd fell to the ground with a grunt. Zane quickly stepped aside to avoid the hurricane as she strode forward.

Bizarro Kai looked up with a lazy grin as she burst into the room.

“You look way more fun,” He started, cutting off with a strangled sound.

“Tell me where my brother is before I rip out your kneecaps.” Nya yanked him up by his collar, glaring into the bizarro’s eyes.

Kai looked over her shoulder at Jay. “See that? Way more intimidating. Lacks finesse, but hey,”

“Don’t look at him.” Nya growled. “Look at me, and the next words out of your mouth better be where my brother is.”

Kai grinned. “You have my full undivided attention.” Nya practically growled. “But I got no clue where the guys squirreled away the idiot.”

Nya’s eyes turned dangerous, and Kai sputtered. “It’s true! They didn’t tell me – all I was supposed to do was keep you guys busy til they could get some info out of him!”

Nya searched his eyes. “If you’re lying,”

“I’m not lying,”

The ship rocked with an impact, and Wu’s voice sounded over the ship’s intercom.

“The dark ninja have attacked! All hands, you are needed!”

Nya dropped the ninja to the floor. “You better hope we find him,” She glared as she opened the door. “Because I will make your life hell if we don’t.”

Kai’s smile was gone when she slammed the door.

On deck, Cole grappled with his doppelganger. “What did you do with Kai?” He grunted. The bizarro tumbled with him on deck, slamming him down and driving the breath out of his lungs.

Bizarro Cole knelt over him, driving a knee into his back. “Nothing much,” He growled. “Nothing he didn’t deserve.”

Cole flipped his double and wrenched his arm back. “Where is he?”

Bizarro Jay’s cackling laugh echoed around them as he chased the blue ninja around the Bounty’s rigging. “Think you can catch me before I light up your sails?” He taunted.

“Where’s Kai?!” Jay called after him, scrambling up the ropes.

The blue bizarro shot him a chilling sneer. “How would I know?”

Jay sputtered and dodged a barrage of sparks. “You took him!”

His opponent just laughed. “So? He got pretty boring pretty quick.” He leaned in close, locked in a hold with Jay. “Once he stopped squirming it stopped being fun.” He teased.

Jay paled. “What did you do?”

Zane dodged shards of ice on the edge of the ship. “Where are you hiding Kai?”

His double was silent, only throwing sharp icicles his way.

Zane clenched his jaw and surged forward. “Tell me!”

\----------------------

His chest was heavy. His eyes – he just wanted to sleep. His eyelids drooped…

Were his eyes even open? It was so dark…

No – no they’d be dry by now…right?

Maybe he could just reach up and check…

His arms tugged at each other.

Oh. Right.

He blinked. Guess his eyes were open.

A shiver racked up his spine, making his lungs seize. His body went limp with a whine.

It hurts…

His chest was so heavy…

He seized again with a strangled sound. Pain bloomed in his mouth, along with a copper taste.

Oops.

Nya was gonna be pissed.

\---------------------

“Tell me, or I drop you off of the deck right now.”

Nya’s stone-cold look chilled Lloyd to the bone.

He leaned in towards Jay. “Shouldn’t we stop her? This is – this is something my dad would do.”

Jay glanced down at the kid. “I don’t think we could if we tried.”

In front of them, Nya dangled bizarro Jay off of the deck, hundreds of feet in the air over the Ninjago Sea. “Start talking! We both know you like to!”

Bizarro Cole spoke up from where he sat tied to the mast with Zane. “Fine!”

Nya whirled.

Cole glared at the deck. “He’s in a warehouse. On the docks – in Styxx.”

Nya threw bizarro Jay back on deck. “Did you hear that, Zane?” She called.

The nindroid nodded from the helm, and turned the ship.

Nya stared out at the ship’s course.

“We’re coming, Kai.”


	9. Chapter 9

The ship was tense as they pulled into the docks at Styxx.

The bizarros were held below deck with Jay keeping an eye on a camera watching them. Lloyd and Nya refused to stay behind, and Zane’s medical knowledge and Cole’s strength were nonnegotiable.

Nya tried to ignore the twist in her stomach at that thought.

They didn’t know where Kai was. How he was being held.

How hurt he was.

“I imagine your little fireball looked about as busted up as I did that first day back.”

It had been easy to dismiss bizarro Kai’s injuries; a black eye and a few bruises were really nothing in their line of work. But Kai – their Kai – had been kept somewhere in Styxx for a full week, with far less caring companions.

She shook the thought out of her head. It didn’t matter – what mattered was finding Kai. She turned to Zane. “Anything?”

The nindroid had been passively scanning for Kai’s abnormally high heat signature since they were in range. Nya’s heart sank as he shook his head. “I do not see any signs of l- anyone, on the docks, at all.”

Nya tried to ignore the nindroid’s slip. “We still need to search,” She insisted. “Cole, you take Lloyd down the east section, Zane and I’ll take the west.” She met Cole’s eyes, afraid to meet Lloyd’s. “Be quick. Be thorough.”

The earth ninja nodded before bounding off, trailed by Lloyd’s fast footsteps.

“Come on, Zane,” Nya jerked her head towards the first warehouse. “We need to find him.”

The search was quiet.

The warehouses in Styxx were old structures of sheet metal and rusting bolts, echoing with drips and leaks. Puddles sat in corners ringed with marks from the last time they’d dried up, and footsteps splashed loudly around them.

Zane’s voice broke the tense air.

“He may not be here, Nya.”

Nya huffed and slammed another door open. “We don’t leave until we know for sure.”

Zane silently raised an ice pillar to hold up an unsteady section of the roof. “It is much harder to prove a negative than a positive.” He said.

“If he isn’t here, we keep looking.” She continued on.

Zane stood in the doorway, artificial eyes lighting up the room while Nya looked under abandoned shelves and around dilapidated piles of pallets.

“There is a third option, you know.”

Nya shot the nindroid a glare. “Watch yourself, Zane.”

His eyes were sad as he continued. “Nya…” he considered his words. “It may be wise to…prepare…”

“Prepare for what?” She whirled. “Have we found anything that makes you think we won’t find him? Anything that makes you think we won’t find him alive?”

Zane flinched from her snap. “No, but,”

“Then we keep looking.” She marched out of the warehouse and into the next one. “And we keep on keep looking, until we find him.” She wrenched the main doors open. “Because we will find him.”

“We have to.”

\---------------------

Cole made Lloyd wait outside every doorway before letting him come in to look.

“What’s the point of me helping if you already searched the place?”

“Listen, Greenie,” Cole huffed and heaved another pile of rotting lumber out of the way. “I agreed to let you come with me to look for Kai. I didn’t agree to let you get hurt or traumatized while doing it.”

Lloyd rolled his eyes. “How am I gonna get hurt? The bad guys are on the Bounty,” He yelped as Cole yanked him out of the way of a collapsing shelving unit. The bars and metal panes clattered to the ground with a deafening clang.

Lloyd dangled by Cole’s hand for a moment before scrabbling to be put down.

He readjusted his gi, tightening the oversized belt for the millionth time. “That proves nothing.”

Cole just lifted the corner of his mouth in a smile. “You’re welcome, kid.”

His smile turned back to his serious face as they went deeper into the warehouse. Despite his complaining earlier, Lloyd stuck relatively close with his flashlight.

They came to another door, this one leading into the next unit. Cole held up a hand, and Lloyd slid to rest against the wall while he ducked inside.

A minute later, Cole’s hand motioned him onward. His head followed when Lloyd stayed in his spot against the wall. “You okay buddy?”

“It’s not just falling shelves you’re worried about, is it?” Lloyd asked quietly.

Cole looked down at him in surprise. “What makes you say that?”

Lloyd looked up at him with watery red eyes. “He might not…he might not be okay, when we find him.”

Cole let out a long breath and sat next to the child. He put a big arm around his shoulder, squishing him to his side.

“No. No, he might not be okay.” He quietly admitted.

Lloyd sniffled into his side.

Cole rubbed a hand along his back. “He may need a lot of help. And,” he took in a deep breath. “And he may not act the way we expect him to.”

Lloyd’s voice was almost too quiet to hear. “What if we can’t help him?” He whispered.

Cole’s hand tightened around his shoulder. “We will,” he assured. “We’ll help him however we can.” He rose to his feet, pulling Lloyd up with him. “And that includes finding him.” He smiled. “Now come on.”

Lloyd followed after him down an odd hallway. The flashlight only lit up so much, but strange streaks were randomly dotted along the walls. This hall seemed drier than the other places they’d been, like it had been taken care of.

Cole stopped him in front of a door. “Wait here, Lloyd.”

Lloyd complied, an uncomfortable roil starting up in his stomach.

His blood ran cold at the tone of Cole’s voice.

“Call Zane! Now!”


	10. Chapter 10

Zane froze when his communicator buzzed, Lloyd’s voice shakily coming in over it.

“What? What is it?”

He apologetically hushed Nya, holding up a hand. “Lloyd, calm down, I need you to slow down. What happened?”

Lloyd sounded shaken. “I – Cole said to call you, I don’t know – he won’t let me in, I can’t,”

Zane soothingly shushed him over the comm. “We are on our way,” he assured. “Just wait.”

Nya’s eyes were wide as he looked back to her. Zane’s face was grim. “They may have found him,” he explained. “But…Cole will not allow Lloyd into the room.”

Nya’s face paled. “He’s not okay.”

Zane shook his head. “We do not know that. But we need to hurry.”

Nya nodded and followed closely as Zane ran for Lloyd’s location.

Lloyd met them in the front entrance of the warehouse. His red eyes were brimming with tears. “He won’t let me in, he won’t,” He turned to follow them inside.

Zane turned at the door. He knelt in front of Lloyd, firm hands on his shoulders. “You need to stay here.”

Lloyd’s eyes flared. “You can’t make me,”

Zane’s eyes were serious. “I do not want to. But if Kai is in there, and Cole asked you to stay out here,” Zane bit his lip. Lloyd deflated at the unspoken possibilities. “I do not want you getting hurt too. Please, Lloyd, stay out here.”

They left him behind the door.

\-----------------

The other side of the door was worse than any pleading glare Lloyd could give.

Cole was seated on the ground, gingerly holding up Kai in his lap. The ninja was pale, and sickening purple streaks inched up from his neck. Around his wrists dangled broken cuffs, the chains cradled in Cole’s lap along with Kai’s limp hands. Kai’s legs lay limply on the ground, his pants torn and his legs scraped. Arcing streaks raced down his bare ankles.

Nya let out a strangled sound and sank to the floor next to him.

“He’s alive,” Cole’s voice was raspy. “I,” He took in a shaky breath. “I got a pulse.”

Nya’s hands gently cupped Kai’s face. “Kai,” Zane pointedly ignored the tears welling up in her eyes, instead kneeling next to Cole.

“What injuries are there? Can he be moved?” He asked. His voice stayed steady.

Cole swallowed. “I, yeah, he,” He sniffed. “His back,”

Zane shifted to Kai’s shoulders. Cole was pointedly holding onto his front, holding up Kai’s shoulders so he could breathe.

Zane’s breath caught in his throat.

Kai’s gi was split up the back, revealing pale bluish streaks of frostbite against Kai’s usually tanned brown skin.

“Oh Kai,” Zane’s voice trailed off. He sat back and pulled out a first aid kit.

“Can you help him?” Nya asked.

Zane curtly nodded, focused on the task at hand. “I can better help him on the ship,” he explained. “But I need to wrap this so we can move him.” He looked at Kai’s unconscious face. “It will hurt. Possibly.”

“Possibly?” Cole asked.

Zane fought to keep a level head. “We want it to hurt. The less it hurts, the more damage there is.” He held his hand above Kai’s back. “This is severe.”

Nya looked at him with pleading eyes. “Please, help him, Zane.”

\--------------

The door finally creaked open, and Lloyd jumped to his feet.

“Kai?”

Zane came out first, his face stern with a look Lloyd had never seen. Nya followed, trailed by Cole, holding…Lloyd’s eyes widened. He caught a glimpse of red fabric and a limp hand before Nya stepped in front of him. “Hold on, Lloyd.”

He peered around her only to see Cole and Zane’s retreating backs. “Was that Kai? Is he okay?” He stood on tiptoe to get a better look.

Nya kept a firm hand on his shoulders, only moving forward when the boys had gotten a head start. She grabbed his hand in hers, leading him forward. “He’s going to be fine,” She insisted. “He’s hurt, though, and we need to stay out of Zane’s way.” Lloyd didn’t ask about the shiny tear tracks on her face, or the stony look on Zane’s. He followed without a word, keeping his hand in Nya’s. Knowing what he did now, the streaks on the wall made his stomach flip.

Kai had gotten this far. He’d been by himself, and he’d gotten this far.

Lloyd pushed the thought out of his head.

He followed all the way to the ship, helped Nya prep the medical room while Zane and Cole carefully maneuvered Kai onto a gurney and onto the ship. She’d shoved him out and into his room before Kai was taken in, and that left him here.

Alone.

Wrapped in Kai’s red throw blanket.

His room was really quiet.

Everyone else was either helping Kai, watching the bizarros, or steering towards Kryptarium and getting in touch with the commissioner.

His chest felt funny.

He took in a deep breath. It didn’t help.

They wouldn’t let him see Kai.

Kai always checked in on him when he got back from a mission. But this wasn’t a mission. This was being kidnapped. This wasn’t by choice, this wasn’t his job, he was taken.

Lloyd thought back to when they were on the way to Styxx.

Cole didn’t know he was eavesdropping. They thought he was still knocked out.

“They knew what they were doing. They knew he’d follow if they threatened Lloyd.”

Tears welled up in his eyes.

Kai thought he was protecting him.

They knew he would fall for it if it looked like Lloyd was in danger.

Lloyd sniffed and pulled the blanket closer. This wasn’t fair. This was stupid and horrible and should never have happened.

And, a part of him whispered, it was all his fault.

He was the stupid green ninja. He was important now. He was worth getting kidnapped and horribly injured for.

His chest still felt funny.

He hated being important.


	11. Chapter 11

Kai didn’t wake up that day. Or the next.

He just laid there on the bed, still and quiet except for the whir of machines keeping track of his pulse and keeping him warm.

It didn’t make sense. They needed to keep him warm. Kai, the master of fire, needed help keeping himself warm. His back needed to be “rewarmed”.

Lloyd had tried not to stare at Kai’s back, but it was eye catching in the worst way. Zane said he was lucky – there wasn’t any dead tissue, only severely injured. But it had blistered from the cold injury, and it looked painful.

It looked like maybe it was a good thing that Kai wasn’t awake yet.

Frankly there wasn’t any place on him that didn’t look painful. Strange scars – Zane called them Lichtenberg lines – striped down from his waist to his ankles.

Jay had paled when he saw them. Lloyd was afraid to ask what caused them.

And that was before anyone even mentioned the bruising. Zane had insisted on tensely checked on the wrapping around Kai’s torso every couple of hours since his initial first aid. Lloyd had gotten annoyed after the third time someone tried to shuffle him out of the room and demanded to know why it was so important.

Zane had snapped at him about bruised and broken ribs, and Lloyd had turned green at the thought.

His face was a mess of mottled green and yellow bruises. His arms and shoulders weren’t much better – Lloyd was in the room when Zane and Cole had to snap his shoulder back into place. It wasn’t an experience he wanted to repeat.

“Lloyd?”

Nya’s voice made him jump. “H-hey.” He watched as she dragged a chair over next to his and sat down.

“How’s he doing?” She gently asked.

Lloyd deflated in his chair. “Same as ever,” He mumbled. “He won’t wake up. Zane says I’m not allowed to make him wake up.”

Nya cracked a tired smile. “I want him to wake up, too.” She ruffled his hair. “But you know how Kai is when we wake him up too early.”

He can’t help the tears prickling behind his eyes, or the sniffle that sneaks out from the protection of his hoodie. “I don’t care if he yells at me.” He pulled his knees up to his chest and curled around himself. “I just want him to wake up.”

Nya put an arm around him. “I know.” She murmured. “Me too.” Lloyd leaned into the touch, unable to take his eyes off of Kai’s still form. “He won’t keep us waiting long. He just,” She paused. “He just needs time to recover from what happened.” They sat in silence for a moment, watching Kai’s chest rise and fall.

Lloyd felt a burst of anger bubble in his chest. “Why did he do that.” He spat.

Nya looked at him in concern. “What do you mean?”

“Why did he go after that bizarro? He,” Lloyd stumbled over his words. “He didn’t think, he didn’t get backup – he didn’t even have a comm on him!” The tears were back, leeching into his voice and making him hiccup. “It,” He stuttered. “He’s so hurt, and, and,” Lloyd screwed his eyes shut, curling in on himself again.

“And you feel guilty about it.” Nya quietly finished. “Don’t you?”

Lloyd shrugged his shoulders, letting his hoodie bunch up around his ears.

Nya made a concerned sound. “Lloyd, you know this isn’t your fault, right?”

He could feel his face getting hot. He glared in Kai’s direction; maybe if he just kept his stupid mouth shut she’d leave him alone.

“Greenie,” She quietly said.

Why wouldn’t she just let him be?

He silently traced the scars under Kai’s bruises. Those were at least familiar. And not because someone threatened to hurt him.

Didn’t he know he was making a mistake? It was one thing for Garmadon to take on snakes or pirates or a team of ninjas. He was Garmadon. He was invincible. But Kai…Kai was just a teenager. Kai was a kid. How did he think he stood any chance at taking on a meaner, ruthless version of himself? Let alone a team of elemental ninjas.

It was stupid of him to have run off by himself. Even stupider for him to have done it for some kid.

“Lloyd.” Nya’s voice broke through again. “Kai did not run off because he thought he could take this on.” She knelt in front of him, setting hands on his shoulders and looking him in the eyes. “And he’s not going to appreciate you blaming yourself for his decision.” She glanced in the direction of the sleeping ninja. “He’s probably gonna beat himself up even more over it.”

She wrapped him in a hug. “He knew what he was doing.” She assured. “He knew you were worth whatever he was chasing.” Lloyd leaned into the squeezing hold. “And not because you’re the green ninja. She stood back, and Lloyd finally let his lip quiver as she gave him a sad smile. “It’s because you’re a kid – a little brother – and we’re not gonna let anyone or anything hurt you.”

Lloyd leaned in for an awkward hug, clutching the back of Nya’s shirt. “I hate seeing him like this.” He whispered.

“I hate seeing him hurt too,” She admitted. “But no one could have stopped him. And no one blames you Lloyd, or thinks you weren’t worth it.”

He sniffed. “I don’t want him getting hurt because of me.”

Nya rested her head on his. “I know, buddy. And he’s a stubborn butt.” She sighed. “He’s not gonna see anything wrong with it.” She muttered a word that had gotten Kai on dishes duty for a week.

They both stepped back, gazes falling on Kai’s still form. Nya squeezed Lloyd’s hand in hers. “He’ll wake up,” She murmured.

Lloyd nodded. “I know.”

He sat back in his chair. “I just want him awake now.”


	12. Chapter 12

He felt heavy.

It was a strange heavy. It sat on his chest, constricted his lungs. He was on his back, his arms numb.

He needed to roll over.

He kicked his leg out and thrashed. He flopped onto his stomach, smacking his face into the ground and rolling over his shoulder with a crack.

His ears rang with pain.

He couldn’t move his arms anymore. When he tried, it just shot another flash of pain through his shoulder. His legs felt like thick jelly.

At some point, the world started spinning, and up was down and the world went dark.

The next thing he registered was that his back hurt – a dull throbbing thing. He could feel his blood pulsing under his skin. His neck hurt like he’d slept funny. He couldn’t even bring himself open his eyes. Something…someone? Was talking. Maybe. He could hear sounds…like muffled song through water.

_“…ay strong, Kai…ane! Now!”_

Before he faded again, it almost sounded like Cole.

Words faded in and out of his brain, different voices blending together.

_“…rgive me, Kai, but this is the bes…”_

_“…onna hurt, Firebrand, sorry…”_

The world was swimming around him in a blur.

_“…ake up soon, please…”_

Something was moving him. It made his head spin.

_“…upid dumb butt, going without backup…”_

The first thing he registered was beeping. Slow, steady.

High pitched and annoying.

Soft snores were next. Quiet and even – and way too light to be his sister’s. He turned his head to the side with a groan.

He pried his eyes open to soft yellow light and red wood. It didn’t make sense. Did they move him? Where was he? Why did his leg feel so numb?

A clumsy hand smacked into a head of hair. A glance to his thigh showed that it was blond and waking up abruptly from said smack.

“Lloyd?” First master, his voice sounded awful.

Red eyes blinked open sleepily before blowing wide. “Kai!” Small arms launched around him, and Kai’s world went white as his brain failed to register the sharp pain in his back and shoulders. He let out a pained grunt, and Lloyd sat back with a cringe.

“Sorry.”

Kai gasped in air and tried to keep his composure, if only for the kid. “’M good,” he rasped. “Good…” He let his head fall back on his pillow. “Where ‘m I?” He slurred out.

Lloyd smiled at him. “You’re on the,”

“You’re awake!”

He turned to the door, and a dull buzz roared in his ears. The world came to a spinning halt, and he jerked in his bed. He grabbed Lloyd by his hoodie, throwing himself in front of him despite muffled protests.

“Get behind me, Lloyd!”

Fire exploded in the room.

\-----------------------------------

Jay admittedly hated monitor duty. It was boring nine times out of ten and you couldn’t play videogames because you needed to be “on alert”.

And now it came with the added bonus of Kai Monitor Duty.

He didn’t hate taking care of Kai – he was relieved to have him back, and even more relieved to hear that he just needed to be monitored and not constantly resuscitated or something. And the beeping really faded into the background after a little while.

Which was why he admittedly didn’t notice that Kai was awake until he was off monitor duty in the room.

What hit first was Lloyd being awake. The little guy had taken to napping on or near Kai almost constantly, which they’d pretty much allowed for the time being. The next thing to register was Kai’s head moving around, and the quiet rasp of his voice talking to Lloyd.

It surprised him. Which was why he yelled.

But now, with Kai holding Lloyd and standing precariously on his cot while small fires sparked and spluttered around the infirmary, it occurred to Jay that maybe yelling at the formerly-tortured-and-almost-comatose guy wasn’t a great idea.

“Kai, please, it’s me!” He tried to reason with him. “I’m not gonna hurt you!”

Kai looked positively feral.

“What are you gonna do, huh? Hurt me? Electrocute me again?” He seethed, eyes wildly darting between Jay, Lloyd, and the door. “Thought you could hurt him?” Kai shook Lloyd’s arm, and Jay felt queasy at the look on the kid’s face.

Jay shook his head. “Kai, I would never hurt you or Lloyd.” He kept his hands up, palms out. “I just want you to calm down.”

Kai seethed at him. “I won’t let you touch him.” He was practically spitting fire.

He was also starting to pale.

Jay raised a hand to his comm.

“What are you doing?!” Kai barked. Jay’s hand jerked away.

“I just want to call Nya,” He assured. “I think she might be able to help.”

Kai’s face dropped and Jay’s heart sank. “Don’t you touch her,” He snarled. “Don’t you dare touch her, I will burn this place to the ground if you do, I swear it.”

Jay swallowed and backed up to the door. “I,” His head raced. He couldn’t just leave him – Kai was clearly fading by the minute. Lloyd may be frozen standing with him on the cot, but Jay could see the tremor in Kai’s hands, the way his legs stumbled beneath him. “I can get her,” He said carefully. “Have her brought here for you.”

Kai practically growled. “If she has even one scratch,”

“I won’t hurt her!” Jay assured. “I’m just going to have her come up here.”

Kai’s eyes narrowed. Jay almost breathed a sigh of relief. “Call for her. Now.”

Jay raised a careful hand back up to his comm. “Hey, Nya?”

Nya’s voice crackled in his ear. “What’s up, Jay? Is everything okay? How’s Kai?”

He cast a glance up at where Kai glared down at him from the cot. “I, yeah, uh, Kai’s okay – I just,”

“Jay, what’s wrong?”

“I need your help in the infirmary.” Jay bit his lip. “And I think it needs to be just you.”


	13. Chapter 13

“Kai,” Lloyd whimpered as Kai held him in an iron grip. “Kai, you need to sit back down.”

Kai let out a growl, his other hand going up to his injured shoulder. “I’m fine, Green Bean.” His eyes shifted between Jay and the door. “Don’t worry, I won’t let them hurt you.”

Lloyd looked at Jay, who looked queasy. He saw the blue ninja move to exit the room – and jerked in Kai’s hold when he saw it too. “Don’t you dare!” Kai snarled. “You’re not leaving this room to go get your buddies.” Fire crackled in his spare hand.

Jay moved back, hands up. “I-I’m not going anywhere,” He said. “I was just looking to see if Nya was down here yet.”

A scary smile split Kai’s face and sent chills down Lloyd’s spine. “Not as much fun when they can fight back, is it?” His free hand twitched, sending sparks fizzling into the sheets at their feet. “Can’t handle a live fire alone, can you?”

The door opened, and Kai jerked again with a growl. His fingers dug into Lloyd’s arm, and he fought to keep from crying out.

Nya stepped into the room, and Lloyd breathed a sigh of relief. She would be able to diffuse this.

“Kai?” She stepped in carefully. “Kai, I came as soon as I could.” She looked happy to see him up, but Lloyd could see the worry in her face.

Kai looked almost ready to cry as his face softened. “Nya!” His grip on Lloyd loosened. “Are you okay? Did they hurt you?” Nya nodded, looking between him and Lloyd.

“I’m fine, Kai,” She assured. “Lloyd, you good?” He rapidly nodded. He’d be better once Kai calmed down. She stepped towards Kai. “Kai, I need you to sit down.”

Behind her, Jay moved to help get them down. Kai’s expression flipped, and Jay yelped as fire landed at his feet. “Don’t even think about it!” He snapped. “You’re staying right there.”

Nya moved to block Jay from Kai’s line of sight. “Kai, look at me.” He was panting out breaths now. Lloyd could feel the air heating up around him. “Kai, no one’s going to hurt you. Jay just wants to help you.”

Anger flashed in Kai’s eyes. “That’s not Jay,” He vehemently barked. “I don’t know what they’ve said or told you, but that is not him.” Lloyd could hear him continue under his breath. “Not…not Jay, not him,”

Jay looked up at him. “Kai, I promise, I’m not going to hurt you.”

“Just as long as I tell you what you want to hear, right?” Kai’s voice was tainted with a desperate tinge. “Spill all my brothers’ secrets, tell you how to get at us?” He stumbled on the cot, jerking Lloyd around. “I just gotta, gotta cooperate, right?”

Jay shook his head. “No! No, I don’t need you to tell me anything,”

“What, you wanna electrocute me again?” He sucked in a desperate breath. “Send me into – into fibra-whatever?”

A horrified shadow passed over Jay’s face before Nya spoke again. “Kai, no one is asking you for information. No one is going to hurt you.”

Kai shook his head. “No, no you don’t know,” His knees shook.

“Kai, you need to sit down.”

Kai puffed out breath after breath. “I can’t,” He shook his head. “We need to get out of here. Once we’re out of here,” He huffed. “Once you’re safe,”

Nya took another step forward. “Kai, we are safe. We’re on the Bounty.” She soothed. “We got you away from them, you’re here, with us.”

“No,” Lloyd looked up at him in concern. The tremble in his limbs had increased, and his grip was fading fast. “No, I,” He panted. “I gotta, we gotta,” His grip on Lloyd loosened in favor of leaning heavily on the ten-year-old. Lloyd struggled under the new weight. “Can’t let them, they’re gonna hurt Lloyd,” His words were slurring together. His arm slumped over Lloyd’s shoulders, leaning wholly on the kid.

“Kai,” Nya’s voice was on edge. “Kai, please, sit down, you need to rest,”

She was right in front of the cot. Kai was getting heavier. Lloyd met her worried eyes. “Nya, I think,”

“Can’t let ‘em…”

The only warning was a wobble in Kai’s stance before he fell forward. Lloyd yelped and scrambled to hold Kai up by his arm before remembering his shoulder injury with hesitant hands. Jay shouted in concern while Nya dropped to her knees to keep him from smacking into the hard wood floor.

He ended up sprawled across the infirmary floor with his head on Nya’s lap. She let out a heavy exhale in a familiar attempt to calm herself. Lloyd sank to the ground with her.

“Oh, Kai,” Nya sighed. Jay sat down next to them.

“Are you okay? Lloyd?” He set a hand on Lloyd’s shoulder.

Lloyd nodded, unable to take his eyes off of the now unconscious Kai. “I’m okay,” He said. He couldn’t get that panicked look out of his head. Kai’s eyes had looked wild – scared. “What happened?” He asked. “Why did he – why was he yelling at Jay?” He rubbed his arm. He could still feel Kai’s desperate grip through his hoodie. He’d never seen Kai that worked up in any situation. Not even when he’d been dosed with Venomari venom.

Nya and Jay traded concerned looks.

Lloyd looked between them in confusion. “What’s wrong?” He looked down at Kai’s face. A thin sheen of sweat sat on his forehead. “What’s wrong with Kai?”

“I,” Nya hesitated. “It’s complicated. Help me get him back on the bed,” She directed Jay. Lloyd watched them maneuver Kai’s limp form back onto his cot. Jay carefully checked the machines surrounding him, while Nya ran a slow hand through his tangled hair.

Lloyd gingerly picked up his overturned chair to sit down next to Nya. “Why didn’t he recognize Jay?”

The same concentrated look shadowed Nya’s face. “It’s hard to explain, Lloyd.”


	14. Chapter 14

Lloyd sat with Jay and Zane in the kitchen. He had a suspicious plate of cookies in front of him – those usually only came out as a “sorry your dad sucks” prop. He idly wondered where Cole had gone, if the other two were here with him.

Nya was with Kai. She said only she or Uncle Wu could be in the room now. That she didn’t want him accidentally getting caught up in another “episode”.

Jay had asked him to come sit down with him. Zane joined them, quietly sliding into one of the chairs across from him.

“You’re allowed to eat those, kid.” Jay urged.

Zane nodded. “I did make them for you.”

Lloyd eyed them suspiciously. “Why didn’t Kai recognize Jay?” He asked. He could still see wide amber eyes when he closed his own.

Jay gaped at him for a moment like a deer in headlights. He sucked in a breath between his teeth and looked at Zane. “Uh,” He trailed off.

“Lloyd, Kai…” Zane started. “Kai was confused.”

Lloyd absently nibbled on one of the cookies. “He didn’t look confused. He looked scared.” Scared out of his mind, and convinced that Lloyd needed protecting.

Jay bit his lip. “It’s more like…” He snapped his fingers. “His brain is what’s confused.”

He gave Jay a confused look. “His brain?”

Zane smiled. “Lloyd, do you remember when you first arrived here?”

Lloyd furrowed his eyebrows. “You all wanted me to have to do dishes for a week.”

Jay snorted while Zane looked strained. “I meant, do you remember how you felt?” His voice was gentle. “You tried to run away several times.”

Lloyd flushed as he took another bite. “…thought you were gonna kick me out anyway.” He mumbled.

Zane nodded with a gentle smile. “No matter how many times I or Jay or Kai told you otherwise?”

Lloyd stared at the plate of cookies before grabbing a second one.

“It did not matter what any of us said, you knew we had to be lying or confused. It took you a long time to not only consider, but accept, that we meant it when we said you were safe here.”

Lloyd tilted his head. “Is that what’s happening with Kai?”

Jay winced and rubbed the back of his head. “In a way,” He said. “The thing was, you knew where you were, right?” Lloyd raised an eyebrow. “Like, you knew where you were and who we were, and you never thought you were at Darkley’s or anything. You knew you were somewhere different, you just expected it to turn out the same.”

Lloyd shrugged and reached for another cookie. “I knew all that.” He mumbled under his breath. “I just didn’t really believe it.”

Zane rubbed a sympathetic hand on his back. “Kai is dealing with a more intense issue,” He explained. “He was so impacted by what happened, that he does not want it to happen again. His brain is looking for a way to protect him from that.”

Lloyd set his cookie down. “But it won’t happen again,” he insisted. “We found him, we’re putting the bizarros in Kryptarium, he’s safe!”

“But his brain doesn’t know that.” Jay said quietly. “His brain saw me, and because I look like – or well, Bizarro Jay looks like me – it thought he was still in danger. He thought he was back in that situation, and he didn’t want it to repeat.” He gave Lloyd a comforting smile. “Especially since you were there.”

“Sometimes, it is triggered by a smell, or sound,” Zane continued. “For Kai, we will have to pay attention to what causes these episodes.” His face fell. “It will hopefully not always be tied to our appearances and voices.”

Lloyd looked up at the nindroid. “It’ll keep happening?”

Zane and Jay exchanged looks. “It’s really hard to tell, buddy.” Jay said. “It could be a one-time thing, it could be something that happens…for a while.” He admitted. “We just have to keep our heads up and help how we can.”

\---------------------------

Nya ran a thumb over her brother’s hand. The deep bruises on his wrists were starting to change in shade. It may have been ugly, but it was at least healing.

A gentle voice sounded behind her. “Was anyone hurt?”

She sighed and turned to Wu. “No. Lloyd’s a little shaken.” She let her hand fall away from Kai’s. “Me too, if I’m honest.” She held her arms to her stomach. “It’s rough, seeing him like that.”

He hummed. “I will have to check on my nephew.”

“Jay and Zane have him. He’ll be okay.” Nya let her gaze fall back on Kai. “I’m just worried about him.”

Kai was still asleep, chest rising and falling steadily. The bandages from earlier had been replaced with fresh ones, stark against his mottled skin. Zane had shown her how to treat everything he knew how to – no one wanted a repeat incident while they were trying to help him. Nya’s eyes darted over him, Jay’s shaky voice and Lloyd’s scared face echoing in her mind.

Wu nodded sympathetically. “He shall be alright; he’s already healing, even if we can’t yet tell.” He offered a reassuring smile.

Nya shook her head. “Sensei, you should have heard him.” She said. “I mean, I knew he was hurt – he was obviously hurt. But he was terrified.” Her eyes followed the stark lines along his leg. “He mentioned fibrillating.” She whispered. “There were handprints on his chest.”

Wu’s eyebrows furrowed.

“Handprints? His counterpart was always here, there was never an opportunity for him to,”

Nya interrupted. “Sensei, they weren’t typical burns.” She insisted. “They matched Zane’s hands.”

“We knew he had frostbite,”

“Sensei.” She snapped.

There was a silent ring in the room as neither of them wanted to voice what they knew had likely happened. Wu quietly ran a weathered hand over Kai’s forehead before turning to leave the room. The touch didn’t even register; Kai continued to sleep, undisturbed.


	15. Chapter 15

Kai woke to a gentle hand combing his hair. He kept his eyes closed, basking in the warm feeling. The hands were gentle; one pulled the comb through his hair while the other trailed after it, catching the hair before it could spring up.

It felt safe.

A hum slipped from his throat, and the hand stilled.

“Hey, sleepyhead.”

He opened his eyes to Nya’s smile. He returned it briefly before letting out a hiss – his cheek flashed in pain at the movement.

She flashed him a sympathetic look. “It’s healing,” she assured. “But it’s not there yet.”

They sat for a moment. Nya left the comb sitting in her lap.

Kai wished she’d keep combing his hair.

“How are you feeling?”

He turned his head to face her better. “Mm.” Whatever was feeding into his arm was keeping him dizzy and dulling the pain in his ribs and shoulder. “Loopy.”

“Yeah,” She murmured. She brushed a stray hair out of his face. “Anything hurting too bad?”

He took quiet stock of himself. His legs felt like he’d run for days. His spine felt like jello. His arms…his arms felt like heavy noodles. He drummed the fingers on his left hand against his leg.

He could hardly move his neck.

The swelling around his eye had gone down at least.

“I’m okay,” He said softly. He shifted on his cot to try and sit up. “How’s Lloyd? Is everyone else okay?” Nya leaned forward to help him up; a pillow was shoved under his back. He leaned back against it.

She bit her lip. “Lloyd’s okay. I think Jay has him playing that cart racing game.”

Kai deflated into the pillow fully. “Good,” He sighed. “Thought that clone…he said he was gonna…”

Nya rubbed his hand. “We’re fine. We stopped him.” Her voice was quiet. “We kept him from doing anything.”

Kai hummed. “Said he was gonna get Lloyd…” A flare of anger washed over him. “Couldn’t let him do that.”

His sister smiled at him. “And you didn’t. Lloyd’s safe.”

Kai peered at her face. Something wasn’t right – he knew that strained brow, that tense smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “What’s wrong?”

Nya’s smile faltered. “I’m just glad you’re okay.” She murmured.

Kai frowned. “Something’s bothering you.” His face dropped. “Did something happen? Did someone – I knew I shouldn’t have run off, did the guys get hurt? Where is everyone?”

Nya shook her head with wide eyes. “No, Kai,” She waved her hand. “Kai, everyone is fine, we’re all just worried about you!” She put a firm hand on his arm. “We’re fine, I promise,” she assured. “We’re just worried about you.”

Kai slowly relaxed back onto his cot. “Okay…okay…” He nodded. “Good.” He flashed a smile. “Don’t gotta worry about me,” he said. “Looks worse than it is.”

Nya was quiet again. Kai’s smile faltered as she stared at her hands.

Kai grabbed her hand in his. “Hey.” Worried eyes met his. “I’m okay. I’ll be up in a couple of days.” He smiled. “I’ll be back in training by the end of the week.”

Anger flashed in her gray eyes, and Kai blinked in confusion. “Don’t you dare, Kai Smith!” She snapped. “Don’t you even think about touching that training yard until I tell you!” She sprang to her feet, chair clattering to the ground behind her.

Kai could only stare up with wide eyes as she shouted.

“You even look at that training yard, and I will bolt you to this bed!” She yelled. “You, you stubborn – stupid!” She sputtered. “Stupid idiot of a brother!”

Kai was stunned. He’d been shouted at before, Nya was no pushover and he usually deserved it, but something was off this time. Tears were practically streaming down her face, and her fists shook at her sides instead of yanking him up by his collar. He stuttered, at a loss for words.

“You,” She shook her head. “I can’t believe you – I thought I lost you, you stupid lump of coal!”

She hadn’t called him that in years. It was an old not-quite-insult – the kind of thing you only let your baby sister call you. It was for the coal dust that had permanently sat on his face while he failed to learn blacksmithing.

She was really shaken. “Nya…”

“No, no you are not brushing this off.” He clamped his mouth shut. “If you talk, it’s to tell me exactly what happened so I can help you.” She clenched her jaw and drew her arms in close. “What happened, Kai?”

Kai tensed.

“Just the typical stuff,” He muttered. “They wanted something on Lloyd, I wouldn’t give it. They got mad.”

Nya’s look was pure venom. “Don’t give me that crap, Kai.” She snapped. “You…” She sank to the floor, resting her arms on her knees and looking up at him with scared eyes. “I saw those handprints, Kai. You said ‘fib’ earlier.” She twisted her fingers together, and Kai had to strain to hear her whisper. “You…your heart almost stopped, didn’t it?”

Kai sucked in a breath.

She glared at him. “Don’t lie to me.”

“I,” He hesitated. “When did I say that?”

Nya’s face dropped. “That’s not what we’re talking about.”

A pit settled in his stomach. “Nya, when did I say that?”

She wrapped her arms around her shoulders. “When you woke up.”

“I woke up?”

She looked up at him from the floor. “The first time.”

Kai stared for a minute. “Why didn’t you tell me? What – was that all that I said? Is that why Lloyd isn’t in here? Did I scare him?”

Nya’s eyes screwed shut and she shook her head. “It wasn’t your fault, we weren’t thinking,” she sniffed, and the tears returned. “We just wanted you to be okay, we didn’t think about, about,”

The pit sank heavier in his gut. “Nya, what did I do? What’s wrong? Is everyone okay?”

“Everyone’s fine,” She hurriedly replied.

Kai stared silently.

What had he done?


	16. Chapter 16

“Kai!”

Kai grinned at the excited kid in the doorway. “What’s up buddy?” He opened his good arm wide, the other still sitting in a sling while his shoulder healed. He let out a huff as Lloyd’s blond head launched into his torso and small arms wrapped around him. Kai held the kid as best he could from his cot; he patted his back and flashed an understanding smile at Wu.

“You okay, buddy?”

Lloyd picked himself out from his hug and glared at Kai. “No!” He snapped. “Don’t do that again!” He kept up the stern look for about two seconds before diving in for a second hug.

Kai gently squeezed back as his small hands twisted in his shirt. “No more vacations to Styxx, I got it.” He heard a muffled “good” from where Lloyd was buried in his shirt. He looked back up at Wu. “Sorry I freaked you all out.”

Wu hummed and settled into one of the nearby chairs. “I think we are all just relieved to have you back.” Kai was quiet as his sensei leaned back wearily. “From what we saw, it was quite an ordeal.” Orange eyes met gold.

Kai shrugged, careful of the kid clutching his front. “It’s a part of the job, right?” He squirmed in the uncomfortable silence. “Comes with the territory.” He fought back a grunt as Lloyd unknowingly jostled a healing bruise on his side.

Wu stared at him through narrow weathered eyes.

“Nephew?”

Lloyd stiffened against Kai.

“Perhaps you should go help Jay for a while.”

Lloyd turned to protest his uncle, only for his stern voice to cut him off. “I believe he is working on better communication devices. He could use you for test runs.” Wu’s voice left no room for argument, and Lloyd begrudgingly left the room in a huff.

Kai watched him slam the door behind him. “Kid looked frazzled.” He said. “I’m just glad he’s okay,” the fire ninja murmured.

“No thoughts for yourself?” Wu’s voice startled him.

“What?”

Wu’s face was uncharacteristically harsh; he practically glared at Kai on his cot. “You put yourself in tremendous danger, Kai.”

Kai twisted the sheets in his hand. “I couldn’t let them get to Lloyd. I – there was no time, the others were in their own fights, I didn’t have a choice.” He hunched his shoulders forward. The room was getting warm.

“You were unresponsive when the others arrived.”

He could smell the smoke trailing up from his fingers. Cole would have to replace these sheets when he was finally allowed out of here. “I’m okay now.” He said. “A little sore.”

“You could have died. You very nearly did.”

Kai bit his lip. Something was roaring in his ears. He sniffled.

“Kai.”

He stared at his hand. It was littered with old scars – pale white marks from learning to cook way too young, shiny pink spots from blacksmithing before he was ready.

He ignored the yellowing bruises around his wrist. They were new; they’d fade with time. He could forget them.

“Kai,” Wu’s voice was careful. “I know this isn’t comfortable.”

No, it wasn’t comfortable. It was dumb, and he was fine, and he’d really rather just let Lloyd back in so he could rest and maybe play videogames until his shoulder was better. He didn’t want to think, he just wanted to rest.

“But we need to address this. You cannot just put yourself in danger and then ignore the results.”

Something flared in him at that. Something that fizzled out and snapped, unleashing a wildfire.

The dam broke.

“I wasn’t gonna let them get him.” He snapped. “I don’t care. I don’t care that it hurt, that it scared him, scared Nya – I don’t care!” He met Wu’s eyes with a fierce glare. “I don’t care that it was a trick, that, that they had to – to start my heart, I don’t care!”

“Kai, wait,”

He hated the burning behind his eyes as his hands shook. “I don’t care,” he repeated. “Lloyd’s safe, Nya’s safe – the guys are okay, it’s fine!” His voice broke on the last words. “I’m f-fine.”

“Kai!” Wu’s hand sternly gripped his shoulder. Kai froze, hands wrapped around himself. “Kai,” he repeated. “You have been through something horrible.” Wu murmured. “The last thing you should do is brush it off.”

Kai shook his head with a teary smile. “I’m okay,” he insisted. “I’m fine,” he took in a shuddery breath. “I,” Wu’s hand rubbed his arm up and down. “It was just so – so,” He let out a watery gasp. “I thought I c-could take it,” he hiccupped. “I thought – at first it was okay, it was just,” The tears were out in full force now as he leaned into his teacher. “I can t-take a p-punch, I can handle that, I just,”

Wu only held him carefully; Kai was the worst out of all of them at showing how young he was. The responsibility that came with the elements, coupled with his and Nya’s history made him one of the most stubborn young men he’d ever met.

To have him shivering here was heartbreaking.

“It was the ice,” he whispered hoarsely. “I couldn’t,” he gasped between every other word. “I didn’t have my fire, I couldn’t stop it – I’ve never felt that cold.” He grabbed onto Wu’s robe with iron hands.

“It hurt, a-and then it, it didn’t, and,” He slumped against Wu, drained. “I just wanted it over,” he whispered.

Wu only held him gently. “It is over now, Kai.” He assured. “But you cannot ignore it.”

Kai shuddered into him.

“To ignore it would be to let it fester, let it rot. It would only grow until it consumed you.”

Kai took in a stuttering breath. “I just,” he sobbed. “I just want to forget it. I want Lloyd to forget it, Nya to – I just want it gone.”

“I know,” Wu nodded in understanding. “We all wish we could forget such things.”


	17. Chapter 17

“Kai, are you sure? You don’t have to do this,”

Kai rolled his eyes in a familiar show of bravado. “And what else can I do?” He asked pointedly. “Jump every time Cole yells at a videogame? Threaten to rotisserie Jay every time I see him?”

He rolled his shoulders to ease the tension. He winced as his injured side protested – most of the injuries may have healed by now, but that shoulder hadn’t been the same since. He took in a deep breath and hissed out the air at Nya’s sharp look.

“I’m fine, I’m just,” he shook his head. “I’m just getting ready.” He stared at the window with a steely look. “Let him in.”

Nya bit her lip and nodded. “Okay,” She turned to the door, and Kai let out another shaky exhale as her footsteps echoed around the room. “Yeah, he said it’s okay,” he heard her voice trail off.

He could do this. She was being overprotective.

“Kai?”

His heart skipped a beat. He clenched his fist around the arm of his chair. These were his friends, he was okay.

“Kai, I’m uh,”

A chill raced up his spine. Friends. Not enemies. Friends.

“I’m gonna come in, okay?”

His breathing hitched.

“Is that okay?”

He nodded sharply. “Yeah,” He cleared his throat. “Yeah, Jay, come on,” he sucked in another breath. “Come in.”

Jay’s steps were slow – quiet. Kai wasn’t one to notice footsteps, but he doubted they were like that out of habit.

Jay was trying to ease him into this. Give him a way out.

He let go of the chair in favor of clenching his hands into fists.

He didn’t want a way out. He wanted his friends back.

“Kai? Are you okay?” Nya’s voice was quiet and tinny in his head.

Wood creaked with Jay’s uncertain voice. “Kai, it’s okay, I can leave,”

He burst out of the chair in the blink of an eye. He heard it clattering to the floor behind him as he dove for the fidgeting figure in the middle of the room.

“Kai!”

He shook in place as the voices cut off. His face buried into Jay’s shoulder. The blue ninja stood stock still under his hold.

Timid hands slowly came to rest on his back.

His heart pounded in his ears.

“You,”

He sharply inhaled at the voice reverberating through his chest.

“You okay?” Jay quietly asked.

He fought to breathe evenly.

Friends. This was a friend.

He was okay.

“I,” he stuttered. “I’m good.”

His hands were twisted in Jay’s shirt.

Smoke curled up from his mouth as he breathed in and out.

He breathed out. The pounding in his ears was starting to fade.

“I, uh,” He flinched at the sound, and Jay’s voice dropped to a murmur. “A-anything I can do to uh, help?” he gently asked.

Kai swallowed down the rising urge to flee. “I,” he scrambled to get his thoughts together. “Can you keep talking? Please?” He found himself babbling. “I don’t wanna be scared, I, I don’t wanna run away when you’re talking, please.”

He felt Jay nod against his shoulder. “I can keep talking,” he gently replied. “I uh,” he chuckled. “I told you how Nya got the info, right?”

Kai shook his head. He focused on his breathing.

In. Out. In. Out.

“Yeah,” Jay continued. Kai gave a strained smile as he felt the hands on his back lift. The blue ninja always talked with his hands. “So Cole and I, we were getting nowhere – and we were giving them everything! He was all looking big and bulky and I was looking super intimidating,”

Jay’s babble was comforting. It melded together, a mixture of up and down and inflection and tone that was unique to the blue ninja.

It was different from the chilling glee that had dripped from every one of bizarro Jay’s words.

Each exclamation eased some of the tension in his shoulders.

Each embellishment (and he knew there were plenty) made the next breath a little easier.

Jay was halfway through a dramatic retelling of a Starfarer plot when Kai sagged against him, knees buckling, and legs exhausted.

He caught him by the elbows and gently slid with him down to the floor. “You okay?” He asked.

Kai had a feeling he was going to be asked that a lot for a while. He leaned heavily against his teammate. He let out a heavy sigh. “I’m okay,” he murmured.

Jay gently ran his hand over Kai’s back. “Thanks for not being scared of me,” he whispered.

Kai shuddered and held on tighter. “I’m not scared of you,” he said. “I,” he hissed out an exhale. “I just,”

“I know.” Jay assured. “But your brain is screaming at you right now to burn me to a crisp, isn’t it?”

Kai didn’t want to answer.

Jay didn’t make him. “And you’re still sitting here with me, letting me ramble, trying not to hurt me.” He traced gentle swirls on Kai’s back. “That’s – I mean, I knew you were stubborn, but that’s a whole ‘nother level. Not listening to your own brain?” He laughed, and Kai cracked a smile with him.

Kai sighed and laid down on the floor. Looking up behind them, he saw Nya hovering in the doorway. “Hey sis,” he smiled.

She looked relieved. “Hey,” She slid to sit on the floor, and Jay stretched out next to them. “Good job.”

Kai frowned at the crack in her voice. “What’s wrong?”

Nya shook her head. “Nothing,” she reassured him. “I’m just happy to see you in here.”

Happy to see you with one of the guys.

He knew where that thought was going.

He was relieved too.

“Me too,” he agreed. He heaved in a big inhale. “Just gotta do Zane and Cole next.”

Jay shook his head. “You did way more than you needed to today, Kai.” He gently patted Kai’s arm, happy to see no flinching. “Take your time for once, okay?”


End file.
